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Answer · ED Medications

Can daily Cialis help with urinary symptoms?

Short answer

Yes, for many men with an enlarged prostate. In October 2011 the FDA approved tadalafil (Cialis) 5 mg once daily for the urinary symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), and for men who have both BPH and erectile dysfunction. In the trials it improved symptom scores more than placebo, though not urine flow rate. It is not recommended together with alpha-blockers for BPH.

By the Ultimate Male team · Updated October 8, 2026

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What did the FDA approve, and when?

Daily tadalafil at 5 mg for the signs and symptoms of BPH, and for men with both BPH and ED. Drugs@FDA records both new indications for Cialis on October 6, 2011, eight years after its first approval for erectile dysfunction. The current Cialis label also covers starting it alongside finasteride, a prostate-shrinking medicine, for up to 26 weeks.

BPH symptoms are the familiar ones. The NIDDK lists trouble starting a stream, a weak or interrupted stream, dribbling, getting up at night to urinate, urgency, frequency and pain when urinating. It describes PDE5 inhibitors as relaxing the muscles around the bladder, bladder neck and prostate.

How much does it help?

Enough to notice for many men, though it is not a complete fix. Trials scored symptoms on the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), which runs from 0 to 35, with higher scores meaning worse symptoms.

Trial (from the label) Starting score Change on placebo Change on tadalafil 5 mg
BPH study J, 12 weeks About 17 Down 2.2 Down 4.8
BPH study K, 12 weeks About 17 Down 3.6 Down 5.6
ED and BPH study, 12 weeks About 18 Down 3.8 Down 6.1

Urine flow rate rose slightly in both groups, but the difference between tadalafil and placebo was not significant. So the medicine eases how symptoms feel day to day more than it changes the measured stream.

When can one pill handle both problems?

When you have both, and nothing in your history rules tadalafil out. In the trial of men with ED and BPH, 5 mg daily improved both the urinary symptom score and erectile function compared with placebo. Because the daily dose keeps a steady level, you do not need to time it around sex.

That makes daily tadalafil a tidy option for men in their fifties and sixties who are juggling both complaints. Our page on daily versus as-needed tadalafil compares the two schedules, and is daily Cialis safe covers long-term use.

When is daily Cialis the wrong choice?

In a few clear situations:

  • You take nitrates of any kind, including poppers. Tadalafil is ruled out.
  • You already take an alpha-blocker such as tamsulosin for BPH. The label says tadalafil is not recommended in combination with alpha-blockers for BPH, because the combination has not been adequately studied and lowers blood pressure.
  • Your kidney function is very low. Daily use is not recommended when creatinine clearance is below 30 mL/min or on dialysis.
  • Something else could be causing the symptoms. The label asks clinicians to consider other urinary conditions first and notes that prostate cancer and BPH can coexist. The NIDDK lists bladder problems, infections, prostatitis and prostate cancer among the look-alikes.

Get care right away if you cannot urinate at all, have painful, urgent urination with fever and chills, see blood in your urine, or have severe pain in your lower belly. The NIDDK flags these as signs that need prompt attention, and they are not a reason to start a new pill.

Does testosterone therapy make urinary symptoms worse?

In the largest trial so far, it did not. The TRAVERSE prostate safety study followed more than 5,000 men with low testosterone for about two years and found no difference between testosterone and placebo in urinary symptom scores, urinary retention or new BPH treatment. Men with severe symptoms or a PSA above 3.0 ng/mL were excluded, so it does not answer the question for everyone. Our page on BPH and testosterone has more.

How Ultimate Male evaluates urinary symptoms and ED together

At our San Gabriel and Downey clinics, your provider asks about both problems, reviews your medicines for alpha-blockers and nitrates, and checks PSA and kidney function before suggesting a daily pill. Our PSA blood test page explains why that number matters first.

If daily tadalafil fits, you get the dose your provider recommends and a follow-up to see how both complaints respond. To ask whether one daily pill could cover both problems for you, call 626-319-5261 for a free 10-minute call or browse our ED medication options.

questions

Related questions.

Can daily Cialis help with urinary symptoms?

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How soon does daily Cialis help urinary symptoms?
In one of the label trials, symptom scores had already improved at the first scheduled check at four weeks and stayed improved through twelve weeks. Give it at least a month before judging.
Does the 2.5 mg daily dose work for urinary symptoms?
The approved BPH dose is 5 mg. In the trial of men with both ED and BPH, 2.5 mg did not significantly improve urinary symptom scores, although lower starting doses are used for men with reduced kidney function.
Can I take daily Cialis with finasteride?
Yes. The label includes starting tadalafil together with finasteride for BPH, recommended for up to 26 weeks, after which the plan is reviewed.

Sources

  1. CIALIS (tadalafil) tablet, film coated: label · DailyMed, National Library of Medicine
  2. Drugs@FDA: CIALIS (tadalafil), NDA 021368 approval history · U.S. Food and Drug Administration
  3. Enlarged Prostate (Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia) · National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
  4. Prostate Safety Events During Testosterone Replacement Therapy in Men With Hypogonadism: A Randomized Clinical Trial (2023) · JAMA Network Open

This page is general education, not medical advice. A licensed clinician must review your symptoms, history and labs before any treatment decision. For chest pain, trouble breathing, signs of stroke or an erection lasting over four hours, call 911.

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